Dedicated to the women who have been doing it anyway, for centuries. Without appreciation, without support, often, in very difficult conditions. With great co-operation. Definitely without shoes that cost more than what they earn in a month.

There was a Kumbh Mela in Ujjain last month – I really wanted to go but didn’t have a chance. I have never been to a Kumbh Mela before and I hear that it is like a religious Burning man! For the uninitiated, as the story goes, when gods churned the ocean, a pot of elixir came out which granted immortality and there were five drops that spilled and those places host a huge festival each year. It is one of the largest festivals in the world.

I came across this stunning and interesting visual image taken by Rk Rao of Lady with Mudra https://www.flickr.com/photos/93762190@N00/27304925150

Have I posted this view of Gauhar Jaan before? It is a lovely one – very theatrical and nicely coloured – and worth another look! It was sent from Bombay by Alfred to Miss F. Cliffe in Surrey, for Christmas of 1914. The saree was draped in a particularly pretty style; pallu back to front showing off the stripes, and with an unusual blouse. Whenever I run across a photograph of this amazing performer, I feel as though I’ve found a keepsake from a long-departed friend.

I have posted several 1940s – 1950s saree images that were photographed for Life Magazine, but don’t think I’ve written about this one before. It is so pure and clean that I find it tremendously appealing! My life and living space have been anything but that since I moved a few months ago.

The narrow contrast edging on both saree and blouse is elegant and utterly classic, very probably black. The model’s hair style is also beautifully simple, needing no jewellery or other adornments. Pretty darn close to perfection, don’t you think?

You may remember me mentioning, a while back, that women in sarees often appeared in western films during the late 1960’s. This was a kind of visual shorthand to suggest a cosmopolitan or international location or situation. Here’s a good example.

This is a publicity still from the 1969 James Bond film ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’. I won’t go into the details of the plot other than to say that the women in the picture are supposed to come from all over the World. Indeed, in the cast listing, on IMDB, most of them are just referred to by their supposed country of origin, The Irish Girl, The Australian Girl etc.

To be honest, most of these women could be from just about anywhere but including The Indian Girl and The Chinese Girl makes the multinational nature of the group more obvious along with the fact that The Indian Girl is, of course, wearing a saree.

For the record, The Indian Girl, also referred to as Zara on the cast listing, was played by Zaheera. This was her first film role but after ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ she appeared in a number of Bollywood films in the 70s and 80s including ‘Saal Solvan Chadya’ (1977) and ‘Naukri’ (1978).

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About US

Sunny is a designer in Los Angeles. He loves the fluidity and fluency of a saree and believes that when a woman wears a saree, she not only adorns her body but she also adorns her soul. His design ethos is that “simplicity never goes out of style.”

Indrani is a video journalist in Kuala Lumpur. She seamlessly blends east and west by doing the Bharat Natyam steps and Tango, without missing a beat. She has an infectious smile, a youthful sense of the fashion and a timeless sense of the style.

Rupa Gupta: A writer, editor and journalist, Rupa has been in the media for more than two decades. She has worked as Editor with major publications, both in India and abroad. a keen eye for fashion and current trends. Her sense of aesthetics transcends the hype and always finds the true beauty.

Liza Varma is a former Femina Miss India and well known model in Delhi. Today, she is a leading Fashion Choreographer with over 1000 shows to her credit in India and abroad. She is also a member of the Fashion Design Council of India and a Consultant with Shoot Talent Management. Her client list is the who’s who of Indian fashion industry.

Misty is a student in London and has her fingers on the pulse of London fashion industry.

Abhi is a student in San Francisco and showcases sensuous saree pictures.

Kamini is a model in Los Angeles and loves to accentuate the best a saree has to offer.